Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Oil Or Consequences: At $150 a barrel, petroleum will bring a change of leadership. At $200 a barrel, it will bring a change of government. Not long after the airlines and trucking companies face bankruptcy the populace will awaken to the bankruptcy of capitalism as practiced since Reagan. And dollar denominated democracy with it.

Flushed: Beijing will run out of water within 10 years. Removing much of the population elsewhere is complicated by the fact that there is no "elsewhere". Can 7 or 8 million Chinese come camp in your back yard?

Words Of One Syllable: OPEC's president, Chakib Khelil, explained "The price of oil will rise again in the coming weeks. We have to follow the evolution of the dollar, because a one percent fall in the dollar means four dollars more on the price of oil."

If Only...: The key to the proposed housing bailout legislation is finding a way to make homeowners into renters of the houses they once were buying, and make them happy about it, while preserving the profits for the investment community and getting most of the House and Senate re-elected.

Silence: People ask "What's after oil?" as though there was an answer.

Say 'When': Waterboard 'em. Bury them alive. Hoist them by the hands tied behind the back until they suffocate on their collapsing lungs. All this, and more, is quite legal, according to John Yoo, who ought to stand trial next to Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney when the time comes.

We Don't Need No Infrastructure: In 2005 the American Society of Civil Engineers estimated that $1.6 trillion was needed over five years to bring just the existing infrastructure into good repair. This does not account for future needs. By 2020 freight volumes are projected to be 70% greater than in 1998 - but our highways, railways and airports are deteriorationg. "We're basically sliding toward Third World status," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. "It's pathetic. "

Our Motto

Keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.